grasshopper

Tuesday.
Another...
"What in the world kind of day?"

Starting out...

Playfully fun.

Good news wrapping its embrace...

Around our tired legs.

A sweet start.

The afternoon brought a serious turn of events...

During rest time...

Little Charli had gotten trapped under the plastic covering in her crib.

By the grace of God ALONE...

We found her moments before it was too late.

ONLY MOMENTS.

Nothing like losing a child to put your whole world in perspective.

Nothing like almost losing a child either...

We have had this perspective changer more than once...

Especially with the story linked to this little critter.

Makes me think of the Isaiah passage...

Reminding us of the greatness of our Papa...

And the smallness of us.

We are just...

Withering, fading grass...

Isaiah's Spirit label of choice...

Grasshoppers.

Life...

Such a fragile gift.

FRAGILE.

Strong one minute...

Gone the next.

Thankful that in the midst of a million, "get to's..."

I am reminded today...

Of the preciousness of life...

Of little grasshoppers over here on Ridgegate...

Wrapped in their little arms...

They teach me more about my Papa's affection than any other.

Locking on a little longer today...

Singing over them a little louder.

Can't help but recall what I have always sensed in my Spirit...

The enemy is out to devour this story of...

Thankful for the Gardening King that divinely protected His fragile bloom...

Just as He has so many times before.

Thankful for the way she loves...

For the way she is loved by others.

She is a carrier...

Of so much.

Praising Our Big God...

Caretaker of the grasshoppers...

Wow!  

Heavy-Hearted.

So thankful.

hidden

In our DNA.
Buried deep within...
Is a desire...
A longing...
To be hidden.

It's how He created us.
Little people...
Hardwired to dwell in His shelter.

So often choosing to search out places...
Creating distance...
Spaces in the dark.

Protecting what we have found...

Pushing back... the hands that beckon...

Us out of the tight spaces that confine.

We use every tool we can think of...

Trying to protect this fortress of fallacy...

Wearing the shiny signet of the king of lies.

We hide in wrong places.

I've done it since a small child.

Embellishing the walls around...

Making a storehouse of goods.

Appearing...

Beautiful...

Inviting to others.

The story in my heart offered a different picture...

I was stuck in the traps...

I set for myself.

Learning only in recent years...

Exposure is the key...

Unlocking the door to darkness...

Ushering us into His marvelous light.

For though I was meant to hide...

I wasn't meant to create the shelter.

Awe-filled, broken and blessed...

That our good Papa loves us SO MUCH.

He created us to hide in HIM...

And... as I get lost in the maze of walls...

He seeks me...

Wooing and romancing me...

 OUT...

Longing for me to return...

To Hide in The Tabernacle of His TRUTH and GRACE.

The place I was designed to dwell...

The strength of His loving hand.

Rock of ages cleft for me... 

Let me hide myself....

ONLY in Thee.

music

Songs of thankfulness being sung around Ridgegate...

Today...
We worship out of the awareness of our abundance.

Our melodies marked with more than we deserve.

Family reunited...

Hand in hand...

Motioning as one...

Dancing to songs of His great love...

The tune we share makes us happy.

The joy...

Inviting.

All smalls want a listen...

Tuning ears towards His goodness.

We expect and anticipate...

Even greater things as we walk in rhythm...

Towards The Master of The Music.

Choreographed by THANKFULNESS and HOPE...

The Lord of The Dance makes His dwelling place in our worship...

In the offering...

He leads us on...

Twirling us towards greater FAITH.

Sabbath

Sabbath...

A day for flying high...

Skyrocketing towards the promises of God.

Letting the hands and feet of love...

Lead...

Allowing us to soar...

To new heights...

 

Turning our routines and norms...

On their heads...

 

Repositioning ours.

Bowing them low.

 

Smiling...

While receiving gift's of embrace.

Looking with  great intention into the eyes that offer.

 

Entering deeper into their wild.

 

A day when falling out of line...

Feels fun...

And being gathered back in is...

The best.

 

May your Sabbath carry you to new heights... back into the arms of His playful love.

Airplane rides and togetherness blessings,

The Hopefuls.

40 weeks

My mind has been busy processing...
Perhaps... over-processing.
Talking a lot to our Good Papa...
About what He has been forming.

In me.

In us.

His wildness continues to amaze.
Almost 10 months ago we put our home on the market.
After close to 40 weeks of seed growing...
It's finally time to birth out...
What has been maturing in the secret.
I am so curious what my eyes shall see.
What my hands shall behold...
What great joy my heart shall take in.

Our God...
Such a loving physician...
He is so tender in the reminding.
Our story forever marked by great trails of tears...
More yet to travel.
Always...
Leading us to GREATER dancing rivers.

Over the past few days...
Someone else has been processing the change births bring.

My favorite Little  Mister...

Practically living in his superman tee...

He came down the stairs wearing this number.

His choice!

Heart quietly pondering..

"His boys."

Always asking...

"What are they are doing?"

"Where are they?

"What they are having for breakfast?"

Which leads to the other day...

Prince Bud was commenting on how He could see...

Lincoln and Tucker in the fruit of what was nourishing his little self.

He was so proud...

So full of joy as he shared each part.

Pointing out each detail... careful...

NOT TO FORGET!

Ahh....

A lifelong theme for this princess.

One I must say over and over and over and over.

Don't forget!

The story he places in one hand...

Is meant to fuel another.

So... as we all enter in to the the birthing room...

We anticipate hard labor...

Sleepless nights.

Many tears...

Pain and joy...

Shifts in family dynamics...

New life...

And letting go of some past blooms of joy...

So that other promises might have room to grow.

In childbirth...

One of the first and most important things that happens...

The first gift is given...

To the gift of life itself...

A name.

What a treasure for the one that has been entrusted with the naming.

Knowing the temptation...

To spend our lives reinventing who and what we are known for...

Instead of resting...

In WHOM has given us all things.

Just for a season...

To shape and mold...

Adding to the glory of His Kingdom.

Mold us and make us... this is what I pray.